Paul the Apostle in 2 Corinthians 12:2 described how he was carried into heaven, "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven." There are three heavens: FIRST, the atmospheric heaven above us with clouds; SECOND, the heavens with planets, sun, stars, moons, galaxies, etc.; THIRD, the spiritual heaven where God dwells.
"[He] was caught up to Paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell" (2 Corinthians 12:4, NIV). Paul did not even feel at liberty to describe the wonders of heaven. At another time he says, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:9,10).
Superworld is comprised of three parts: Supercity (the new Jerusalem), Superearth (the refurnished earth at the end of the millennium), and the Super-universe (the new heavens).
Look at the Supercity
John the apostle gives us a dazzling description of the holy city. He says,"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself...will be their God.'
"And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels [guarding] at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
"There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
"The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its wall. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be [around 1,500 miles] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measured its wall and it was [about 216 feet] thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
"The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedon, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.
"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Revelation 21:2-3,10-27, NIV).
Can you imagine a city made of pure gold, as clear as glass, gleaming with God's power? John makes special mention that the sun or moon does not shine on it, "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle...for the Lord God giveth them light" (Revelation 22:5). This city does not need electricity or any illumination because it literally glows with God's glory!
And consider the size of our heavenly home--1500 miles square. This city would cover more than the western half of the United States! A mathematician put his pencil to these dimensions and this is what he discovered. "The thickness of the wall is 144 cubits (or about 216 feet thick). It is approximately 12,000 furlongs square or 1500 miles in each direction. It has 12 foundations or floors, each separated by 125 miles. The second floor would be out of sight of the natural eye. "If the city were divided into rooms, one mile in length, one mile wide and one mile high, it would contain 3 billion, 375 million rooms--each one cubit mile. If we began at the time of Adam and spent one hour in each room, at the end of 6,000 years we would have visited 52,570,560 rooms--leaving 3,322,529,440 rooms yet unvisited. This includes all leap years for 6,000 years, deducting the century year when there is no leap year."
Wow! When Jesus said, "In my father's house are many mansions," He wasn't abusing the phrase. For nearly 2,000 years Jesus Christ has been preparing this Supercity for His saints! He said, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). What an unbelievable glorious place this will be! E. M. Bounds says, "The favorite Bible word for heaven is 'glory' which seems so especially suited to describe heaven. It means splendor, brightness, magnificence, excellence, pre-eminence, dignity, majesty in the sense of absolute perfection, a most glorious, a most exalted state, a glorious condition of blessedness." The reason the Bible says, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy" is because this book gives the only description of our eternal home. No wonder when the famous evangelist, D. L. Moody, lay dying, he cried, "Earth is receding, heaven is opening and God is calling." He was excited by what he saw!
Features of the Supercity
There are other spectacular features of this city.
- IT IS COMPLETELY SAFE. Metropolitan areas have become jungles of corruption. Thieves, rapists, murderers, pimps, drug pushers, child molesters--this sort have frightened people until they no longer venture out at night.
Heaven's gates will be guarded by angels, and the Bible says, "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Revelation 21:27, NIV).
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood" (Revelation 22:14,15, NIV). - THE CITY HAS NO TEMPLE OR CHURCH. John says, "I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it"(Revelation 21:22). "Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne" (Revelation 4:2).
"The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it...and they shall see his face"(Revelation 22:3,4).
There Will be Angels in Heaven
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the [living creatures] and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousands, and thousands of thousands. This is at least one hundred million or more. John is trying to say the host is innumerable.
"Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5:11,12). If you are not concerned about angels, you have forgotten that an angel has guarded you since childhood. Jesus said, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:10).
"Are [angels] not...ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14).
The Bible says that angels stand guard over the saints. You are given divine protection from Satan and the demonic enemies of your soul. Remember how Satan complained about Job? He accused God saying, "Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?" (Job 1:10).
Friend, angelic security guards have been watching over you since the day you were born. I am certain you can recall many times when you have been miraculously spared from harm. You will meet your guardian angels in heaven. I am certain when God replays your life, you'll be thanking Him for the angelic protection He has given you.
Unseen Beauty
There are unseen realities of the spirit world. Guardian angels are part of it. When you get to heaven you will see the splendor of the Supercity glowing with supernatural energy, inhabited by holy angels and the saints from all ages who served God. A beautiful girl was born blind. As she grew up, the only beauty she knew of this world came from her mother's lips. Then one day a famous surgeon performed a series of operations on her eyes, with excellent results. Finally the day came when the last bandages were removed.
The little girl ran to her mother's arms, then moved carefully to the open door and the open window. As the beauty of that soft summer day broke in upon her for the first time, she ran back to her mother and with eyes shining with excitement and wonder said, "Oh, Mother, why didn't you tell me it was so beautiful?" Wiping away her tears of joy, the mother said, "My precious child, I tried to tell you, but I just couldn't do it."
One of these days, when we walk into that city of gold, gleaming with the glory of God, we'll say, "John, why didn't you tell us it was this beautiful?" Then the Apostle will say, "I tried to tell you by using every adjective I knew. I said it was like transparent gold, like pearls, jasper, sapphires, and emeralds. I just ran out of words. I just ran out of words."
We Are His Heirs
Praise God, your glorious new home is waiting for you in heaven! So don't be discouraged over your struggles here on earth because you and I are God's children.
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Revelation 8:17,18).
We Will Reign With Christ
In Revelation 3:21 Jesus says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
The Bible says if we overcome, Jesus Christ will allow us to be seated on His throne--the creative center of the universe. Just imagine creating with Christ--building, planning, designing with God's eternal resources and knowledge! Heaven is a place bustling with creative activity! We are going to be assigned places of leadership and responsibility.
Think of it! Our Lord is going to give you the opportunity of becoming more than you've ever dreamed. This is why I call heaven "Superworld."
"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron" (Revelation 2:26,27).